Access Office

The Role of the Access Service at ITB

The Access Service is responsible for coordinating and developing the Institute’s Access Programme and for implementing policies to ensure that access to third level education becomes a reality for students who are currently under represented at third level. The focus of the Access Service is to provide opportunities to students who traditionally might have found it difficult to access third level education, as well as to promote positive perceptions of the value of, and the enjoyment that can be gained from, education generally.

The Access Service aims to assist:

Socio-economically disadvantaged learners

Mature/Adult learners

Learners with a disability

Learners who do not have the usual Leaving Certificate qualifications but who can meet entry requirements in other ways

The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) is an admissions scheme which offers places on reduced points and extra college support to school leavers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

ITB is not part of the HEAR Scheme but operates its own long established access route called the REACH Programme.

DARE (Disability Access Route to Education) is an admissions scheme which offers places at reduced point to school leavers with disabilities. ITB is not part of the DARE scheme but operates its own scheme which allows us to assess our own applicants on an individual basis. Further information on the ITB scheme is available click here

REACH Access Programme2018 Applications Now Closed

The REACH programme is an admissions scheme which offers places on ITB’s courses on reduced points, to school leavers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

ITB has a reserved a number of places on its courses for REACH students at reduced leaving certificate points. This means that if eligible you will be considered for entry on a reduced points basis provided that your points achieved are within 90% of the points required for the ITB course you have listed on your CAO form (i.e. you are eligible to be offered a place where your points awarded fall short by less than 10% of the points required up to a maximum of 30 points) and subject to places being available.

The places are spread across all our courses and consequently a student may not be offered their first course choice, but might be offered a subsequent choice. The order of preference on the CAO application form should at all times reflect your genuine preference choice. Applicants must also meet the minimum course entry requirements to be considered for one of the reduced points places.

Who can Apply ?

REACH is open to school leavers under the age of 23 (on the 1st January 2018) who have completed an Irish Leaving Certificate or a Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) course.

In addition to meeting the minimum entry requirements for the course, REACH applicants are assessed on their financial, social and cultural status. The following are considered to assess eligibility:

We need to access your family income so you will need to do one of the following:

Submit a P21 or Self Assessment Letter for 2016

Submit a Social Welfare Form for 2016 signed and stamped by a Social Welfare official

Submit a RP50 Notification of Redundancy or Retirement Lump Sum Letter for 2016

Submit Letter from TUSLA for Children in Care

4. Tick the box on the REACH form confirming you have applied for HEAR and submitted your supporting financial documentation through the CAO.

You do not need to submit documents if you have already submitted to HEAR.

5. Hand your completed form to your Guidance Counsellor who will submit it on your behalf to ITB along with a reference from your school/college

Completed REACH applications should be returned to:

Adrienne Harding

Access Officer,

ITB,

Blanchardstown Road North,

Blanchardstown,

D15 YV78

Closing Date

Completed REACH applications are to be submitted by:

Friday 20th April 2018 at 5pm - Applications Now Closed

How will my application be assessed?

Applications are assessed on the following:

The completed REACH application form with particular attention being paid to the personal statement

Total family income

Attendance at a DEIS School

The School/College reference

Leaving Certificate results, including meeting the minimum entry requirements for the relevant courses, (i.e. required number of passes, individual subject requirements), details of which are published in the institute’s prospectus and on this website.

How do I know if my application has been successful?

Applicants will be notified of whether they are eligible for the REACH Programme in late June 2018 Successful candidates will be offered a place through the CAO in August 2018.

The Technological University for Dublin Alliance are delighted to have been successful in securing 25 bursaries from the 1916 Bursary Fund scheme established by the Department of Education and Skills to support implementation of the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2015-2019.

Who are the 1916 Bursaries targeted at?
The Bursaries are targeted at students who are from socio economically disadvantaged backgrounds (this is compulsory). However, the fund will be prioritised for those who are from both a socio economically disadvantaged background and from one or more of the following:
1. First time, mature student entrants;
2. Students with a disability - particularly students with a physical/mobility impairment, students are who deaf/hard of hearing and students who are blind or have a visual impairment;
3. Irish Travellers;
4. Further education award holders;
5. Lone parents in receipt of a means tested social welfare payment (at least 20% of the bursaries will be targeted at lone parents);
6. Ethnic minorities (including programme refugees);
7. Students who are or were in the Care of the State.

What is the value of a 1916 Bursary?
Each student who is awarded the 1916 Bursary will receive a bursary in the amount of €5,000 for each year of their undergraduate programme of study.

The bursary will be paid each year of the course up to a maximum of four years for full time students and six years for part time students as long as the recipient complies with the bursary guidelines and progresses to the next academic year of their course.

For example: Mary is a mature student from an area of socio-economic disadvantage and a lone parent. She is in first year engineering and receiving the Back to education allowance and other state support. Mary is eligible for to apply for the 1916 Bursary Fund and if she is successful she will receive €5,000 each year of her 4 year programme (total of €20,000)

Who can apply for a 1916 Bursary?
• Students who are socio-economically disadvantaged and who are from one of the socio economic groups that have low participation in higher education listed above;
• Student's household / family income must be less than €45,790. Applicants must be able to provide evidence of socio-economic disadvantage (i.e. membership of one or more of the categories listed below is not enough in itself).
• Students must be in year 1 of their (undergraduate) programme.
• Students must be attending a full-time or part-time course undergraduate course that:
o takes not less than two years to complete;
o on the successful completion of which a student is awarded a major higher education and training award at level 6 or above on the National Framework of Qualifications.
o Part-time students must be undertaking not less than 40 credits for the 17/18 academic year.

Who cannot apply for a 1916 Bursary?
• Students who meet the criteria but are in receipt of any other bursary, scholarship or award of similar description
• Students in 2nd, 3rd or 4th year cannot apply. This bursary is for current First Year students only
• Postgraduate students
• Students who have already received a qualification at the same level
• Students on a full-time or part-time undergraduate course in a publicly funded institution that takes less than two years to complete or on the successful completion of which a student is awarded a major higher education and training award at level 5 or below on the National Framework of Qualifications.
• Students whose income is assessed as over the maximum income limit, currently €45,790 gross for the family in 2016.
• Students paying non-EU fees

Can part-time students apply?
Part-time students may apply provided the student is registered on an undergraduate programme of not less than 2 years (undertaking not less than 40 credits for the 17/18 academic year)

How will applications be prioritised?
As it is expected that the number of applications will exceed the number of bursaries available, priority will be given to those applicants who can provide evidence of membership of more than one of the categories listed, the significance and impact of the socio economic disadvantage and the barriers experienced.

How will the decision be made?
A panel of 3 staff members for DIT, ITT and ITB will be established to review applications. Depending on the number of submissions the applicants may be invited to an informal meeting with Institute staff to discuss their application further.

The decision on the final recipients of the bursaries will be made by panel.

Schools Programme

One of the aims of the Access Programme has been to promote links with Primary and Second Level schools, particularly those designated as disadvantaged. Part of this remit has been to devise, in collaboration with the schools, initiatives for students who might be interested in pursuing third level education. Many of the activities are targeted at promoting awareness of the variety and nature of courses on offer as well as promoting the benefits of further education generally. The activities also have very specific aims including the following:

To help create an awares of ITB with primary & secondary level students

To allow students to participate in educational activities at ITB in a fun and non threatening environment

To inform students generally about the range and content of courses offered at ITB

To encourage students to view third level education as a desirable and attainable option

To encourage students to opt to continue their education at ITB

To enable ITB to target parents and the community generally as an Institute resource

There are many initiatives underway, some of which include:

Robotics Summer School

Science Week

Schools Taster Programme

Languages Access Programme

Robotics Summer School

ITB runs a Robotics Summer School for children from four local Primary schools - St. Phillip’s Senior National School, Mountview, Ladyswell National School, Mulhuddart, St Patrick’s Senior National School, Corduff and Scoil Mhuire Senior National School, Blakestown.

In June each year over one hundred 5th and 6th class children from the four primary schools, as well as the Blanchardstown Youth Service, participate in the summer school. The goal of the summer school is to introduce children to the exciting and challenging worlds of information technology. The children work together on building robots as well as learning how to create a Web Page and how to use Multi Media Game Building. The summer school culminates in a 'Robot Show' and 'Graduation' on the final day where the children are joined by their parents and friends.

Schools Taster Programme

ITB TASTER (Taste And See That Education Rewards) programme targets transition and 5th year students. The programme is designed to give the students an experience of attending a third level institute and expose them to the opportunities available.

The programme covers modules in a number of areas – Languages, Business, Creative Digital Media, Social Care, Engineering, Computing and Sport, each one designed to give the students a flavour of life at third level. Over 120 students from 11 schools in the surrounding areas - Dublin 15, Finglas, Cabra, Meath and Kildare attended this programme for two days.

Supports for Students with a Disability

The Access Service has a specific remit to promote opportunities at third level for learners with a disability. Specific supports have been put in place for students with a disability. Post-entry supports are provided through the Student Services Office.

Special Needs Applicants

In designing the ITB campus, we paid particular attention to access and how best to accommodate students with special needs. We encourage applications from students with special needs, regardless of any physical or sensory disability.

Applicants with special needs may be eligible to receive a reduction in points for entry to courses subject to places being available. This is our own version of the recently established Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) Scheme which we have operated for many years and allows us to assess our own applicants on an individual basis. To be considered for this special scheme, applicants must still satisfy the minimum entry and subject requirements.

The process is simple – apply through the CAO and under the Disability/Specific Learning Difficulty section tick the “yes” box to confirm you have a disability or specific learning difficulty. Then complete the Supplementary Information Form and submit your medical documents directly to the CAO. Applicants can be assured that disclosure of a disability or specific learning difficulty is required solely to enable ITB to support access to higher education. Offers of places to applicants in this category are made by the CAO in the normal way in Round 1.

Every attempt is made to facilitate students with special needs and to provide special equipment and supports where ITB budgets allow. The supports available include provision of, and training in, assistive technology, access to the Assistive Technology Centre in the library, mentoring programme and academic support. A dyslexia support specialist is currently available to ITB students.

Special arrangements can be made for students with special needs at examination time, provided sufficient notice is given. These arrangements can include the provision of a separate room to take examinations, the availability of an individual to read examination questions, the provision of additional time in which to complete your examinations, the provision of a scribe, taping your examinations etc.

Offers of places to students in this category are made by CAO in the normal way.

What our students say...

"We have an education grant within the company so I said I wanted to do this. I'm a service rep now but I hope to move on and go into management. Prior to doing the course I'd go to quarterly meetings and it'd all be just facts and figures but now I'm going in and there's a presentation on how the company is doing and it all makes sense.You have to really get your mind focussed on doing the course but it's great - I love it." Anthony McGovern,Business Student